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Panorama: Insights into Asian and European Affairs is a series of occasional papers published by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s “Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia/Singapore”. © 2010 Copyright by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Singapore All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying or recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Editor: Dr. Wilhelm Hofmeister Sub-editor: Megha Sarmah Publisher: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 34/36 Bukit Pasoh Road Singapore 089848 Tel: (65) 6227-2001 Tel: (65) 6227-8343 Email: [email protected] Website: http//:www.kas.de/singapore Manuscript offers, review copies, exchange journals, and requests for subscription are to be sent to the editors. The responsibility for facts and opinions in this publication rests exclusively with the authors and their interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the policy of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Design and Layout: Select Books Pte Ltd 65A, Jalan Tenteram #02-06, St Michael’s Industrial Estate Singapore 328958 Website: www.selectbooks.com.sg PANORAMA INSIGHTS INTO ASIAN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS SECURITY POLITICS IN ASIA AND EUROPE CONTENTS PREFACE 7 The EU as a Security Actor in Southeast Asia 9 Yeo Lay Hwee NATO and Asia 25 Carlo Masala EUROPE Security Challenges for the Transatlantic Area 39 Julian Lindley-French NATO at 60: The Global Security Provider 55 Karl-Heinz Kamp The Five Structural Problems of EU Foreign Policy 73 Jan Techau Russian Foreign and Security Policy— A Strategic Overhaul? 87 Andrew Monaghan State Building as a Challenge of Development and Security Policy 97 Christoph Grams ASIA ASEAN And Regional Security In East Asia 109 Rizal Sukma Cooperation for Competition: China’s Approach to Regional Security in East Asia 121 Li Mingjiang Japanese Foreign and Security Policies under Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama— Some Changes, A Lot of Continuity 135 Axel Berkofsky India: Regional Security Challenges 157 Brahma Chellaney Australia’s Emerging Security Challenges in Northeast Asia: The Blind Alley of Multilateralism 177 Andrew O’Neil Renegotiating Asia’s Regional Security Order: The Role of the United States 193 Beverley Loke Preface The global economy is still reeling from the aftershocks of last year’s recession and to say that most economies have recovered even partially would be paltering with the truth. But economics isn’t the only thing on the minds of global leaders at the moment. The globe today is crisscrossed by many potentially dangerous security threats in different parts of the globe with no promising signs of resolving most of them. The situation in Afghanistan seems to be the most dire. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is struggling to maintain even a modicum of stability in a region which has historically been hostile and unrelenting to foreign interference. The Taliban is in a much stronger position now than it was in the years immediately following the American-led assault in 2001. The American and allied troops are embedded in more ways than one with their intention to rid the entire region of any Al-Qaeda elements which might prove dangerous to its own security con- sidering the nuclear weapons possessed by neighbouring Pakistan. The situation gets murkier if one includes the threat posed by a resurgent Iran. President Ahmadinejad has been his usual vitriolic self over the last few years as he denounces Israel’s right to exist while criticizing the Americans and the British. The international community has virtually unanimously agreed on Iran’s intention to produce a nuclear weapon but is still undecided on the course of action needed to stop it. Any military action faces numerous challenges such as the Americans being bogged down in Afghanistan and the Israelis’ reluctance to take on the might of the Persians on their own. Sanctions are proposed by the US and the EU but are not really an option unless Russia and China acquiesce. Russia itself has come out of its post-Cold War lethargy and is beginning to flex its muscles on many issues. The August 2008 war against American ally Georgia and the US decision to abandon a plan for placing ballistic missile defence (BMD) installations in Poland and the Czech Republic reflect a growing realisation that Russia is now a resurgent power, acutely aware of its power and sphere of influence. Its central role in Iran and Afghanistan reflect its status adequately. Preface 7 The considerable military power of Russia also remains as a main challenge of the European Union. Besides that, the EU faces the necessity to engage in global politics even as Europe does not have its own instruments. It still relies on NATO for its own security and engagements in other parts of the world. Although Europe does have bilateral relations with various countries in Asia and has played a significant role in many crises, it has still not attained a prominent place like the United States in the region. In this issue of Panorama we bring together experts from Asia and Europe to offer the different dimensions of security politics in these two regions and its intersection with global security. This volume tries to present the various security political issues and factors which confront Asia and Europe. The journal has been divided into two parts. The first part is preceded by an introduction of EU-Asia security relations. Subsequently, the authors analyse the security politics of Europe. They have assessed the European security policies, the role of NATO as a security institution in Europe, as well as its relation to Asia. In the second part, authors from various parts of Asia explain the different aspects of security politics in the region. They present the various issues which Asia as a region confronts: from the role of US in Asia, the rise of China in security politics, to ASEAN’s role in the regional security of Southeast Asia, and security politics in South Asia. Dr. Wilhelm Hofmeister The EU as a Security Actor in Southeast Asia Yeo Lay Hwee INTRODUCTION The European Union (EU), despite its recent efforts in developing a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) (renamed Common Security and Defence Policy now that the Treaty of Lisbon has entered into force), is still seen first and foremost as an economic power. Perception studies carried out throughout the East Asian region reflect limited knowledge of the European Union. In most Southeast Asian countries, EU is most commonly associated with being a trade giant, an economic power, and an economically oriented actor rather than a security actor. The EU is perceived as an important economic actor, but geographically, politically and militarily distant.1 In Southeast Asia, the EU has a long-standing partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This group-to-group dialogue began informally in 1972, and was formalised in 1977 with regular senior officials and ministerial meetings. Dialogue with the European Community was sought because of eco nomic reasons—the concerns over British membership into the Community and how this would impact the market access of primary exports from ASEAN countries. The British market was then one of the most important European markets for at least three of the five ASEAN member states. The dialogue was initially aimed at achieving greater market access and arriving at a price stabilisation scheme for ASEAN’s primary commodities. However, with the formalisation of the dialogue 1 Natalia Chaban and Martin Holland, “Perspectives on the Role of the European Union: A Study of Asian Stakeholders Opinion for Six Countries” (Stockholm, International IDEA: 2009). Asia Reorientation Actor in Southeast EU as a Security The 9 and the signing of the first cooperation agreement between the European Community and the member states of ASEAN in 1980, engagement between EU and ASEAN expanded to include development cooperation, broader trade and economic dialogue. EU-ASEAN cooperation in the last thirty-plus years has expanded in scope and depth despite the various ups and downs in the partnership. Tracing the development of this long-standing relation and the pattern of cooperation between EU and ASEAN would give us a point of entry into assessing the relevance and importance of the EU as a security actor in this region. Also crucial to the understanding and appreciation of the role of the EU in the region is the security discourse that is taking place within Europe and Southeast Asia, and the development of ESDP within the European Union. The discussions that follow will attempt to bring all these different elements together and lay out the problems and prospects of the EU’s role in security matters in Southeast Asia. AN OVERVIEW OF EU-ASEAN PARTNERSHIP EU-ASEAN formal ties were established in 1977 and since then both regions have developed a comprehensive dialogue that encompasses both economic and political components. Development cooperation and trade underpinned the early years of partnership but by the early 1980s, regular political dialogue between the two organ- isations with regard to Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia and the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan became a regular feature of the ministerial meetings. The two organisations supported each other’s position and condemned both Vietnam and the Soviet Union for their violation of the sovereignty of neighbouring states. Yet, by 1990, with the end of the Cold War, and the Western euphoria over a democratic wave sweeping through Central and Eastern Europe, ASEAN and EU were at loggerheads over human rights issues and the politicisation of aid and economic cooperation policies. Relations returned to a more pragmatic course with the release of the EU’s first Communication paper on Asia.

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